another one bites the dust...

it finally happened. the car died on me. of course, as luck would have it, i was on my way to school -- pharmacology class, to be exact. probably the most maddening thing is that i was only about 4 or 5 miles from the college! why couldn't it have just waited a few more miles? curses, curses, curses!

my cell phone, naturally, did not work in the car; i tried nick, but (as i was to learn much later) the message did not go through. i then tried calling triple-a, but got cut off. my friend becky was not at home. so it was triple a, or nothing -- so, I had to get out of the car, and had to trudge up the hill, in the wind and rain (no, i'm not making this up) where I could get good reception.

however, the cars roaring by at speeds that would rival nascar made it difficult to hear, and i had to shout. finally, help was on its way, and after about 45 minutes of waiting, the tow truck arrived.

i get to the car shop, and i call nick to see if he's gotten my message. he has not... and now he thinks i'm joking. and i'm in a rotten mood. so i hang up on him. and realize that i need a ride, so it would probably be in my best interest to *calmly* convince him that no, i am not joking. however, he isn't crazy about the mechanic i chose, and tells me so over the phone. very loudly. and of course, i'm standing in the shop -- right next to the owner of the shop -- and my phone's volume is turned up (so i could hear on the highway). i go outside to finish the conversation. i'm sure the mechanic heard. at any rate, he informs me that they can't get to the car til monday. fine, i tell him. i'm not even sure we want to fix the peice of crap, at the rate it keeps breaking down. i say this with a laugh, so i don't sound like someone who should be in intensive anger management therapy.

i spend the rest of the time talking to the shop owner's wife, and we discuss nursing (she's a nurse), and then she has to go, and so i pick up a magazine and read a lovely article about matt mcaunahay. he cries when he watches sad movies. who knew?! a sensitive, straight man. wow! my reading is interrupted when nick arrives on the scene a half hour later.

since he would not be in the least imperssed that my favorite actor cries during sad movies, i keep this little tidbit to myself. aside from telling me (again) that he wanted to take it to another mechanic, and asking me why i hadn't called sooner (arghhhh!), we ride home in silence. i contemplate throwing my useless cell phone out the window.

i think he felt bad that my day was so crappy, because he suggested that we go out to eat for supper, something (if you know nick), which is rare. such an occurence warrants being recorded in the pages of history forever. he doesn't like spending money (hence the whole mechanic issue -- he wanted someone cheaper). however, cheap and mechanic don't exist. in fact, the phrase itself is a complete oxymoron. i think the amish have something going there, with the whole horse and buggy thing. not much maintenance, and i bet hay and feed are still loads cheaper than gas! a bit chilly though in the winter.... hmmmm. and yeah, having running water is a plus as well. so, okay, i have it pretty good. i just happen to have an incredibly worthless vehicle at the moment.

*sigh* ah well... such is life, my friends. one can't have everything. i have everything else pretty good, so, as yoda would say: balance one must have. i guess the car (bad) balances out the rest of my life (good). :P

that's all for now. ciao til later.